Business Rural Autumn 2021

86 | Removing pests, restoring ecosystems Kelly Deeks P roviding a fresh approach to pest control since 2014, High Country Contracting has grown quickly to a staff of 45, operating out of Pleasant Point and Mosgiel, with satellite branches now operating in Middlemarch and Twizel. High Country Contracting’s employees are drawn together through their passion and love of the out- doors, and an aim to protect New Zealand’s primary industries from a range of introduced pests and diseases, while also working to regenerate native flora and fauna. Combining multiple years of experience in the industry with the latest techniques, the company prides itself on offering a professional service with outstanding results. “We remove a whole lot of pests, whether they are plant pests or animal pests, giving all the native plants and animals the opportunity to flourish as they don’t have any competition from predation or pest plants,”says High Country Contracting general manager Gerrit Roux. “We’re not just taking out the bad stuff, we’re putting the good stuff back in as well, providing a full-circle service in terms of enhancing biodiversity with native planting and restoration work, particu- larly around Timaru and Dunedin.” High Country Contracting’s native restoration planting work for Government and private clients fulfils the company’s aim of ‘Remove and Restore’, providing a full circle approach to regenerating New Zealand’s native ecosystems. Since opening two years ago, High Country Contracting’s Mosgiel branch has catered to a rise in demand from large scale TBfree programmes. The objectives of the TBfree programmes require maintaining very low possum numbers through possum control. High Country Contracting’s possum control efforts in the Dunedin surrounds during the past two years coincide with the same areas Pred- ator Free Dunedin is focusing on, and High Country Contracting has managed to significantly advance RURAL SERVICES » High Country Contracting the goals of the Halo Project, a division of Predator Free Dunedin. “We’re seeing some great results there,” Gerrit says. “A lot of our work around Dunedin is right next to the city, so we’re working in neighbourhoods with traffic and dog walkers. It’s quite a different environment compared to the Canterbury and Otago high country.” In the Mackenzie region, High Country Contacting will begin a trial mid-year of multi resetting possum traps with OSPRI. “This trial will determine whether these traps are effective at controlling possums on a large scale. We have only used them in certain situ- ations on a smaller scale, so this trial will provide us with a measure of how well they work for large scale operations.” Back in Canterbury and North Otago, High Country Contracting has been working on wal- laby control, since the Government’s 2020 budget provided $27 million for the Ministry of Primary Industries to get wallaby populations under control. Like rabbits, wallabies destroy pastures and reduce carrying capacity for farmers. The agricultural pest has a containment area between the Rangitata and Waitaki Rivers and into the Mackenzie Country, and High Country Contract- ing now has a recently engaged wallaby dog team focused on search and destroy work for wallabies outside of their containment area. “We’re not just taking out the bad stuff, we’re putting the good stuff back in as well, providing a full-circle service in terms of enhancing biodiversity with native planting and restoration work, particularly around Timaru and Dunedin.” Proud to provide business advisory and governance support to High Country Contracting Timaru: ww Andrew Johnstone - Director w.solveca.co.nz Photos: Charlie (above) putting in the hard yards on possum control. Blake (and dog Jet) doing wallaby detection work